RESUMO

The complete genome sequences of hepatitis D virus (HDV) strains isolated from three Yucpa Amerindians in Venezuela were determined and found to be genotype III. Comparison of these three genotype III sequences demonstrated the presence of a hypervariable region containing numerous substitutions, insertions/deletions and a highly conserved region containing the self-cleavage domains, which have been reported previously for genotypes I and II. Amino acid changes within the first 90 amino acids of the hepatitis D antigen (HDAg) were found in the genotype III sequences, while the remainder of the HDAg-coding sequence was conserved. The secondary structure for the RNA-editing site differed between genotypes I and III. It was concluded that the serious delta hepatitis outbreaks characterized epidemiologically in the Yucpa Amerindians were caused by HDV genotype III isolates that were related to HDV genotype III isolates from other regions of South America.

Assuntos

Vírus Delta da Hepatite/classificação , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Genótipo , Vírus Delta da Hepatite/genética , Indígenas Sul-Americanos , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Filogenia , Edição de RNA , Venezuela

RESUMO

The complete genome sequences of hepatitis B virus (HBV) from 12 HBV-infected Yucpa Indians of Venezuela, a group with highly endemic HBV, were amplified and sequenced. The 12 isolates were closely related to each other, with 98.6-100% nucleotide identity. A phylogenetic tree based on the complete genome indicated clearly that they were genotype F. Three individuals had evidence of infection with two different HBV deletion mutants. In two individuals, a three amino acid deletion was identified just prior to the 'a' determinant loop of the S region. A third individual was infected with virus that contained a complete core reading frame and a population that contained a deletion in the middle of the core region. These results indicate that genotype F HBV is present in the Venezuelan Yucpa Amerindians and the complete genome sequence allowed the identification of two unique deletion mutants in a limited set of samples.

Assuntos

Genoma Viral , Vírus da Hepatite B/genética , Hepatite B/virologia , Indígenas Sul-Americanos , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Sequência Consenso , Genótipo , Hepatite B/epidemiologia , Antígenos de Superfície da Hepatite B/química , Antígenos de Superfície da Hepatite B/genética , Vírus da Hepatite B/química , Vírus da Hepatite B/classificação , Humanos , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Filogenia , Alinhamento de Sequência , Deleção de Sequência/genética , Venezuela/epidemiologia , Proteínas Virais/química , Proteínas Virais/genética